Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-10
LIFEB0AT ENGULFED.
FIVE MEMBERS OF A llFE-SAVlNG
CREW MEET DEATH

Va e Bravely Attempting the Rescue OF
Shipwrecked Saiiors-Every One on the
Vessel, Numbering Twenty-Five, Also
Drowned - Further Fatalities on the
Railroad-M Miscellaneous Mishaps.
BALTIMORE, Nd, Jan 10.-Word has just
been received here from Cape Henry, Va, Of
the loss of the German ship Elizabeth, from
Hamburg, with her entire crew. Details are
very meager, but those received are enough
to show that this wreck is one of the most
disastrous which ever occurred on the Nir-
ginia coast 1t happened at 9 o'clock Satur-
day morning, near the Little Island life-sav-
ing station, fourteen miles south of Cape
Henry, and caused great deal Of sorrow
along the coast Not less than twenty and
probably more lives were lost, among them
five hfe-saving men, who in the discharge of
their duty were drowned.
The morning was cold and binding Snow
storm prevailed, with the wind blowing
gale from the northwest During lull in
the storm the life-saving patrol from Little
Island life-saving station sighted large
ship stranded on the bar about 800 yards
from the shore. When he saw the vessel he
was waiting to meet the patrol from the Dam
neck station and exchange checks, showing
that both patrolmen had been to the end Of
their beats The Damneck patrol was only
few yards distant when the vessel was
sighted, and both fired rockets to notify the
crew of the stranded ship that she had been
seen. They hurried back to their respective
stations and gave the alarm. In a little
while both crews, with lifeboats, were abreast
of the wreck and the boom of the mortar
announced that line had been shot out to
the i'll fated vessel The shot was unsuccess-
full, and second was fired, with the same re-
suit. After firing six unsuccessful shots the
life-saving men determined to brave the
furious sea and the death which seemed GER
tain to await their venture
The word OF command being given by
Capt. Belanza, of life saving station No. T.
known as Little Island, six Of the most ex-
pert boatmen manned each boat At his
command the men gave way with a vii, and
In a moment both boats were breasting the
furious waves They reached the ship in
safety, and Ave of the ships crew were taken
in lte-boat and ten in a ships boat, which
was launched for the purpose. The boats
"a
spoken, for each man realized the awful peril
which surrounded them. With steady pull
the two boats were making good Roadway
for shore when a wave of great power struck
both boats, capsizing them instantly and
pitching their twenty-five occupants into the
boiling sea
Then began a desperate struggle for life,
and with many of the men it was pro-
longed one The Mortified life-savers on the
beach were powerless to assist their drown
ing comrades or the strangers The drown
ing men were carried southwark by the seas,
and some of them were washed ashore As
they came within reach they were picked up
and endeavors We're made to revive them,
and in two instances with success although
one of the two is badly injured.
The vessel is the German ship Elizabeth
Capt. Halberstadt, from Hamburg to Balti-
more, and not one of her crew survives her
wreck
OF the life-saving crew the following were
lost: Abel BeIanza, Capt of No 1, known
as Little Island J. W. Land, same station
| George w Stone, same: J. A Belanza, of
Dam Neck station, and brother Of Abel; jos
| Spratlev, of Dam Neck: John Etheridge and
Frank Tetfori, of No station, were washed
| ashore and resuscitateI, but Etherldge is SC
badly injured that it is thought he can not
survive
The crew of the Elizabeth numbered
| twenty-five men Not one of these was
saved The body Of the captain is among
| those which have been recovered Letters
were found on the captains body addresses
to Henry kaulkmann Tbs sea is still break
| ing violently over the ship None Of tbs
names of the victims has yet been learned
e1cep. of the captain, aud even in his case il
is only inferred that the letters found on tb'
| hodY war his own